


A Happy Captain

by Medie



Category: Star Trek (2009)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-09
Updated: 2010-02-09
Packaged: 2017-10-07 03:33:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/60987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Medie/pseuds/Medie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Scary, isn't it? Caring that much about somebody?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Happy Captain

**Author's Note:**

> written for [](http://deirdre-c.dreamwidth.org/profile)[**deirdre_c**](http://deirdre-c.dreamwidth.org/) for the [Alphabet Meme](http://medie.livejournal.com/1666949.html) for the prompt "Doghouse"

Spock:

Admittedly, he is somewhat unskilled in these matters. In the time he has spent on Earth and in Starfleet, living among humans, he has not had the occasion to interact with a human couple engaged in marital difficulties.

It is not that there are no couples in active service, nor is it that they do not have difficulties. Merely, he has never before been in a situation which has put him in such proximity to a couple and one experiencing said difficulties.

However informal they maintain their relationship to be.

Though he suspects she would agree with him, he has not voiced his thoughts to Nyota. He is uncertain as to why, save for the fact that in relation to James T. Kirk, her logic is somewhat...unclear.

There is also the fact that while he is somewhat privy to their secrets, he is alone in that status. Without express permission from Jim and the doctor both, he does not feel it right in sharing it with anyone. Not even her.

However, it would be helpful to know her mind on this.

Sitting in the rec room, across from a despondent captain, he very much wishes that he did.

"Another game?"

Jim nods.

"Yeah, sure."

Spock presses his lips together and resets the board.

It is most unfortunate.

Chapel:

It's longer than usual, that's what worries her. Len and the captain -- well, you can't have make up sex if you don't fight first. Everybody knows that.

She's had more than a little of it herself, so she knows from experience. There's nothing quite like the bite to an orgasm born out of a good hard fight.

She's not supposed to, of course, but she does know that Len and Jim like that bite a _lot_. She's almost walked in on it more than once.

But this time's a little longer.

It's got something to do with that away mission. The one that no one's talking about. She doesn't even remember the planet's name anymore (she doesn't pay attention, really, unless she's on the landing party) but she knows it doesn't matter. The part that matters is the part about which none of them can find anything out.

The part that happened after Commander Spock, the captain, and Len disappeared off sensors. Transported away by an unknown alien race.

Christine's seen the medical scans. She knows that whatever happened, the captain and Len took the worst of it. They'd received first rate medical care, but the signs were still there.

The kind of damage medical personnel have nightmares about.

God knows, she's been having some doozies lately.

She also knows that, since it happened, since they came back, the captain and Len've barely spoken.

Len's spent half the time in a bottle (when not on duty) and the captain's played enough 3D chess that Spock looks like he might cry whenever Jim brings it up.

Monthly reports done, she steps into his office with her heart in her throat. This is, usually, not that bad. No one likes the monthlies. Either the physicals, the evals, or the boatload of paperwork that comes with all of it. Normally, she and Len replicate some halfway decent chicken and gorge themselves while they work.

Sometimes, there may or may not be a good bottle of bourbon involved.

There's none of that this month. Christine does most of the work herself. She presents the padd to him for his signature and turns to go.

"Chris -- "

At the door, she looks back. He's still sitting there, padd in his hand, looking a little lost.

She tries for a smile. "He just needs time."

She's not sure she believes that, but he needs her to and, so, she does.

Nyota:

She's actually worried about him. God help her, she's actually worried about James T. Kirk.

Not that she hates him (she doesn't) or that he's a pain the ass (he still is, if a little), it's just --

It's _Jim_.

He's the one person on this ship she doesn't worry about most days. His knack for survival is, unlike everyone else on the ship, eerie. He pulls a miracle out of his ass when no one else can even get it together enough to try. More than that, he's pulled it out, saved the day, and taken everyone for a round of celebratory drinks before anyone even realizes just how big a save the day is in need of.

She'll never tell him, but she's actually proud of him for that. Sure, she kind of hates him for it too (he could _look_ like he's trying) but, mostly, she's proud of him. One thing no one's ever been able to accuse her of is being stupid. Everyone wanted this ship before Kirk, with Kirk they'd sell their mother and a couple cousins to get a posting.

He takes care of his crew. He's _good at it_ in a way most captains aren't. Not that most captains aren't devoted to their crews, but Jim -- Jim gets it on an instinctive level and it drives her crazy sometimes, but she respects it.

She likes it. He takes care of them and, most of the time, they return the favor.

Most of the time.

Right now, there's nothing they can do but watch and it's killing them. Nyota more than most.

She knows what happened. Every report goes through her department. She knows what the doctor did. She knows why he did it. She understands it, but she understands the captain too.

Biting her lip, she watches him leave. She starts to turn, but catches Sulu's eye.

Everyone knows that she knows. At least, everyone suspects. Hikaru's the only one to act on it.

He tips his head toward the captain, his look meaningful.

She sighs. On her feet, she closes the distance between her station and the turbolift with a few quick strides. Sliding through the door, she looks at the captain.

He only looks mildly surprised.

"I thought it'd be you," he says, leaning back against the wall.

She shrugs. "Short straw."

Jim grins, a little edge on it. "Bull, but I'll go with it." He waves a hand her way. "Hit me."

"Don't tempt me," Nyota counters. "Spock would have to put me on report for striking a senior officer." She pushes a little grin of her own. "And that would be _bad_."

"Particularly for his sex life," Jim nods.

"It'd still be better than yours," she replies.

"Beg pardon?"

Nyota rolls her eyes. "Best crew in the fleet and you two thought you were fooling us? Please, _Jim_. Give us some respect. Doctor McCoy hasn't slept in his quarters more than three times in the last six months. Well, right up until The Mission."

She doesn't have to say which one. When it comes to this, there's only one.

Jim pulls a face that's eerily similar to Spock's. "You been peeking at the reports again, Lieutenant?"

Nonplussed, Nyota doesn't back down. "Someone has to check them for typos. You can't blame him."

"He -- " Jim's temper flares, but she can see the fear behind it. No, the naked panic behind it. She bites her lip and knocks down her own temper. God, she's not the right person for this.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, she puts her hands on her hips and looks at him. "Acted like a doctor? Yes, he did." She takes a single step forward. "You're not pissed about what he did. Not really. You're pissed that it was _him_. You're not pissed that Spock didn't try." Which she knows he would have. If Doctor McCoy hadn't dosed him first, Spock would've offered himself up to the aliens and the certainty of insanity without a second thought. She hasn't gone ten rounds with him about that yet, but oh, she is _going to_. "You're pissed that you didn't get there first."

Lowering her voice, she says, almost sympathetically, "Scary, isn't it? Caring that much about somebody?"

He doesn't answer her, but that's okay. Nyota doesn't need him to talk. She needs him to _listen_.

"Even scarier when you realize he feels the same way about you." She reaches back, touching the console and the door release. "I think, maybe, it's time that you let him out of the doghouse."

She steps out, watching the doors slide shut. Before they can close entirely, she adds, not even sure he can hear her, "He misses you."


End file.
